The Vancouver Canucks are guaranteed to have at least one prospect competing for a league title this season.

On Friday night, the Kitchener Rangers defeated the Windsor Spitfires in five games to capture the Wayne Gretzky Trophy and punch their ticket to the OHL Final. Vancouver’s 2025 sixth-round pick Gabe Chiarot will now look to cap off his draft-plus-one season with a shot at a championship and potentially earn a trip to Kelowna, BC, for this year’s Memorial Cup.

Kitchener took control of the series early, winning the first two games before Windsor responded with its lone victory in Game 3. The Rangers answered with a Game 4 win and sealed the series in overtime in Game 5 to close things out. Chiarot contributed a goal and an assist in the series, bringing his playoff totals to seven points (three goals, four assists) through 14 games. He also sits second on the team with a plus-7 rating while carving out a reliable role on the third line as one of the Rangers’ key energy players.

Kitchener will now await its opponent in the OHL Final, with either the Barrie Colts or the Brantford Bulldogs — led by Caleb Malhotra — advancing from the other side of the bracket.

Out west, Braeden Cootes and the Prince Albert Raiders are on the verge of joining them in their respective league final.

In what has been a tightly contested series, the Raiders picked up their second consecutive win on Friday, defeating the Medicine Hat Tigers 6-3 to take a 3-2 series lead.

While it hasn’t been his most productive stretch statistically, Cootes recorded four assists through five games. He now sits at 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 14 playoff games, while continuing to be a force in the faceoff circle, winning 57 percent of his draws (110-for-193).

Game 6 is set for Sunday night in Medicine Hat, with a potential Game 7 scheduled for Tuesday if needed.